The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, changed language on its vaccine safety website to say the statement “vaccines do not cause autism” is not evidence‑based, a notable departure from prior CDC messaging that cited studies finding no link.
The CDC’s revised “Autism and Vaccines” page now asserts that studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines contribute to autism and says research “supporting a link has been ignored by health authorities.” The update marked a shift in tone from past administrations and immediately drew criticism from public health experts who said it conflicts with decades of research showing no causal relationship between vaccines and autism. (reuters.com)
The webpage retains the header “Vaccines do not cause autism,” accompanied by an asterisk noting it remains due to an agreement with Senate HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy. The change coincides with a broader reorientation of health policy under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. HHS has also said it has launched a comprehensive assessment into autism causes, including potential biologic mechanisms and causal links. (reuters.com)
Before this week’s edit, the CDC’s page said “Studies have shown that there is no link between receiving vaccines and developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD)” and that no links had been found between vaccine ingredients and autism—language reflected in archived descriptions and recent reporting by multiple outlets. (latimes.com)
The revised page references parental concerns and points to a small 2006 survey reporting that about half of parents in two private practices believed vaccines played a role in their child’s autism. Experts note that such perceptions do not establish causation and that the vaccine‑autism hypothesis has been extensively studied and not supported. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Reaction from the medical and scientific community was swift. The Autism Science Foundation called the new CDC language “misinformation” that contradicts the best available science, while state health officials in Massachusetts publicly reaffirmed that vaccines do not cause autism. (autismsciencefoundation.org)
Related policy moves also drew attention. In September, President Donald Trump and Secretary Kennedy announced steps addressing autism, including cautionary actions around acetaminophen use in pregnancy; in late October, Kennedy said available evidence was not sufficient to conclude that Tylenol causes autism. The FDA, led by Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, said the agency initiated a process to update acetaminophen labeling and issued a letter alerting physicians—often described as a “Dear Doctor” notice—about the association; Makary also discussed the outreach in an interview with The Daily Wire. (reuters.com)
Editors’ note: While CDC’s webpage now frames the “vaccines do not cause autism” statement as not evidence‑based, major reviews by U.S. and international authorities have repeatedly found no causal link between vaccines (or their ingredients) and autism. Reporting on the website change remains in flux and is being closely scrutinized by outside experts. (pbs.org)
